Stopper-extractor.



A. W. STEPHENS. STOPPER BXTRAGTOR. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 5, 1909.

Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

ANDREW u GRAHAM Co. Pnnro-LHMOGHAPMERS. wsmmmm n c AUGUSTUS W. STEPHENS,OF WALTHAIY, MASSACHUSETTS.

sToPPER-EXTRACTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 5, 1909. Serial No. 500,283.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS V. STE- PHENS, of Valtham, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful improvements in Stopper-Extractors, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object t0 plo` vide an implement adapted tobe used in removing the crown cap which closes the neck of a bottle, thesaid implement being also adapted to close the bottle after the removalof the crown cap.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed todescribe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspeciication,-Figure 1 represents a side elevation showing my improvedimplement contained in a case and adapted to be carried in a pocket.Fig. 2 represents a side View showing the implement as used forremoving` a crown cap from a bottle. Fig. 3 represents a similar viewshowing the implement as used to close the neck of the bottle. Fig. lrepresents a perspective view of the hook detached.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherev-er theyoccur.

In the drawings, 12 represents a straight rod or shank which ispreferably a short piece of stout wire. One end of the shank is providedwith a suitable handle 13 which is preferably a ring engaged loosely`with the shank. The ring may be split and adapted to serve as a key-ringif desired.

14 represents a hook which is pivoted at 15 to the shank, the pivot 15being located at a distance from the inner end of the shank. The hook ispreferably made from a blank of sheet metal including a body 16 and sideportions 17 the whole being concaved to iit over and closely embrace therod or shank 12. Ears 17 are provided, through which the pivot pin 15 ispassed. The lower end of the body 16 is rounded and provided withhook-shaped prongs which collectively comprise the hook 14.

18 represents a collar which may be made or rubber, cork, or othersuitable compressible material and is adapted to serve as a stopper toclose the neck 19 of a bottle. The collar is engaged with the shank 12byy passing the lat-ter through a hole formed for its reception in thecollar, the latter being located between the handle 13 and the hook.

The described implement is adapted to be used, as illustrated in Fig. 2,for the purpose of removing from the bottle neck 19 a crown cap 2O ofany ordinary construction, one end of the shank being placed upon thecentral portion of the cap and the hook engaged with the ange of thecap. A. movement of the implement in the direction indicated by thearrow in F ig. 2, will cause the hook to disengage the cap from thebottle neck. During this operation the collar 18 furnishes a bearing forthe operators finger, said bearing presenting a large surface area andbeing of yielding material so that the pressure on the operators fingerdoes not occasion discomfort. The hook is adapted to swing inwardly uponthe shank, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, so that, after the removal ofthe cap 20, the collar and the inner end portion of the shank with thehook thereon may be inserted in the neck of the bottle, as shown in Fig.3. It vsometimes happens that after a crown cap has been removed from abottle the hook member is not folded back into position against theshank 12. n such instances, when the implement is inserted in the bottleto serve as a stopper, the mouth of the bottle will engage the roundedlower end of the hook, and acting against the rounded edges thereof inthe nature of a cam, will close the hook against the shank as theimplement is inserted into position. It will be seen therefore, that,after a bottle has been opened, the implement may be used to temporarilyclose it.

The form of the implementis such that it may be inserted in a case 21having a cavity, the outer portion of which is formed to iit the collar,while its inner portion is formed to receive the inner end portion ofthe shank and the hook thereon. The collar in this .Patented Mar. 15,1910.

case serves to couple the implement to the being constructed to embracesaid shank, and case, so that the implement may be convena compressiblecollar surrounding said shank iently and safely carried in a pocket. land located between Said handle and said I claim l concaved body. 5 Animplement of the character described i In testimony whereof I haveaffixed my 1.3

comprising a shank having a handle at one signature, in presence of twowitnesses. end, a concave body provided atone end l AUGUSTUS W.STEPHENS. with ears pivotally connected to said shank, lVitnesses: andhooks at the other end, the hook end of I C. F. BRowN, 10 said bodybeing rounded, said concave body l P. l/V. PEZZETTI.

